Authors take to the road to market books

Crazy Ladies Book Tour stops in Newport News

Take two long-time friends, two writing careers, two new books, pair them up in a Honda Civic for a summertime of travel, and you'll get a recipe for fun.

North Carolina authors Peggy Payne ("Cobalt Blue," Roundfire Books, 2013) and Carrie Jane Knowles ("Lillian's Garden," Roundfire Books, 2013) aren't just fellow authors published by the same publishing house; they're long-time friends who have embarked on a tour of the south to promote their newest releases. They'll be stopping by Newport News' brand-new Rosehips Boutique and Skin Spa on Saturday, July 27, at 3 p.m. to share their experiences at an author talk and book signing. Rosehips is located at 10363 Warwick Blvd. in Historic Hilton Village.

This will be approximately the 10th stop on a tour that has taken them across North and South Carolina and now Virginia. It takes out-of-the-box thinking to market books in today's world of publishing, Knowles said in an email, adding that it likewise takes much planning to successfully pull off series of events like this. Still, it seems to be worth the effort.

"We've had great fun on the tour," she wrote. "(We) have eaten a lot of meals at K&W cafeterias around the south, have gotten lost with GPS several times. Once it told us that our destination was 857 miles away and we were to expect an 11-minute delay because of traffic. Go figure."

Knowles said that having a good friend along for the ride helps in a couple ways. For example, the two never run out of things to talk and laugh about. "Touring together has taken away some of the headache of book touring. It helps that we're good friends and have been for so many years."

Payne agreed, saying in a phone conversation that she'd learned more about Knowles during the long car rides than she'd learned over the course of their 35-year friendship.

Shared experiences make for engaging conversations later, as well, like the time that Payne stepped outside the venue during a signing event to invite passersby inside. She said she was wearing a "very short, one-shoulder, blue-sequined body-stocking of a cocktail dress," which may have given the wrong impression to two people in the neighborhood. They approached, told her she was headed in the wrong direction to reach the pearly gates, and encouraged her to seek spiritual rebirth, right there.

Payne told the story at Knowles' urging, adding that the dress has become her costume, and wearing it a "liberating" experience. The shade is a bright cobolt blue to tie in with the book's title. In cold weather, she'll add a matching cape with a hood, and sunglasses.

The two aren't just about the fun though. Knowles said that they don't shy away from the hard topics—"religion and sex"—during their talks. "The questions from the audience have been great." According to Kathleen (Kat) Hall, owner of Rosehips, the books are, in general, about "women embracing themselves fully and becoming at home in their own skin." Hall's pun might have been unintended, but it does seem the authors have found a fitting venue for their Newport News event.

That sense of candor and camaraderie is found on the pair's Facebook page as well. The first entry, from Payne dated January 28, says: "I'm delighted to be a sister Crazy Lady with author Carrie Knowles. Important point: our novels are about women who go off the rails. We're both very proper and balanced, of course." Knowles responded several weeks later, "Peggy has said she is willing to paint flowers on her car. I suggested broccoli and carrots, perhaps an onion or two. My car has the sunroof, which is a plus on a long tour on a beautiful day. Still trying to decide who's going to drive."

Saturday's reading is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., but Payne and Knowles will be there before and after. They invite any authors interested in chatting about book marketing and promotions to stop by. The author talk portion of the afternoon will focus on their most recent releases.

Payne, New York Times Notable author of "Sister India," will talk about "Cobalt Blue" (contemporary women's fiction, Roundfire Books, 2013. From the publisher's website: "A mysterious brush with the divine catapults Andie (Branson, 30-something commercial artist) into shocking acts until she searches out what has seized her….Her story ranges from the elegant little golf town of Pinehurst, North Carolina, to the raucous and shadowy byways of pre-Katrina New Orleans, with pauses in India, Ecuador, and other exotic locations. Andie finds her redemption finally through ecstatic religious ritual, the mysterious healing properties of water, and by claiming and steering the power that has erupted within her." The book is available from the publisher and other retailers for $20.95 in print and $9.99 in digital.

Knowles will share from "Lillian's Garden" (Roundfire Books, 2013). From the publisher's website: "When a brazen new preacher comes to town, one family finds their devils in the hidden silences of their lives. Just when Helen thinks she can take charge of her life, a devil-hunting itinerant preacher upsets the delicate balance she has managed in a family locked in secrets and headed for trouble. … Lillian's Garden is a novel about failure and finding redemption through learning how to ask for what you want and accepting what love has given you." The book is available from the publisher and other retailers for $18.95 in print and digital $3.99 in digital.

Knowles also has a special treat ready for attendees to Saturday's event: a free copy of a "missing" chapter from her next book, "Ashoan's Rug," planned for September 2013 release. The material will not appear in the book and will only be made available at Saturday's event.

Go to roundfire-books.com for information about both titles.

Go to facebook.com/crazyladiesbooktour to read more about the driving tour.

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Leah Price blogs about the local writing community and is always on the lookout for what's new. If you have a new release or an upcoming event you'd like to share, contact Leah at ldprice@dailypress.com.